"Would have been so lonely and so miserable"- Adrian Meronk details why he was 'scared' of joining the PGA Tour
Adrian Meronk was one of the top DP World Tour golfers. He was on the path to the PGA Tour, but last year, after he did not play any PGA events, he was revealed to be an LIV member by the end of January. It was a surprising decision, but one that Meronk felt he had to make.
The golfer is from Dubai and expressed concern over how it would be playing almost exclusively in America for the PGA Tour. He revealed, via Golf Monthly:
“If I’d played in America, I would have had to base myself there and it would have been so lonely and so miserable, I think. I even talked to Nicolas Colsaerts – when he started playing on the PGA Tour, he felt so lonely, he didn’t really enjoy it. I was a little bit scared of that, to be honest. I wanted to play out there, but hearing things like that played a part in my decision.”
Moreover, Robert MacIntyre, who has not left for LIV, has said in the past that it can be lonely on tour. Thomas Pieters, who has moved to LIV, said he "hated" his life during his PGA tenure.
Meronk went on to say that joining LIV Golf meant that he could stay in Dubai as well as play fewer tournaments. He was "exhausted" after playing in 27 tournaments the year before.
Meronk said:
“I think it was a great decision for me. It’s given me so much life and enjoyment. It’s like a rat race on the PGA Tour – everybody is looking out for themselves, and nobody talks to you.”
Ultimately, Meronk is happier on LIV Golf and he's been fairly successful. He finished 17th in season points out of 57 golfers in 2024.
Adrian Meronk details what would have kept him on the PGA Tour
There's only one thing that Adrian Meronk admits would have prevented him from making the jump to LIV. In 2023, he had been passed over for the Ryder Cup. If that hadn't happened, he admitted that he "probably would not have" gone to LIV. He said that it made his decision "easier".
Despite that, Meronk is interested in playing for Europe in 2025. Other LIV stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have been on a crusade to retain Ryder Cup eligibility, but Meronk hasn't yet spoken with Luke Donald. He said via Golf Monthly:
“I think my manager may have spoken to him at Wentworth, but I’ve not personally spoken to him about anything."
Adrian Meronk cited that Rahm, Hatton, and Sergio Garcia have expressed their desire to come back to the Ryder Cup and hopes that he can play well enough to make it onto the team.